Fluid-based fire suppression sprinkling systems and the like often contain some amount of air in the system when in service. For example, air is introduced into the piping system when the system is installed, drained periodically to perform maintenance, or when making alterations to the pipe network. Some of this air remains trapped in the pipes when the pipes are refilled with fluid. Having trapped air in the pipes can be problematic because the trapped air can lead to corrosion inside of the pipes and by extension metal loss to the sprinkling system.
That is, one predominant form of corrosion to which fire suppression sprinkling systems are susceptible is oxygen corrosion. Oxygen is typically introduced into the sprinkling system in two ways. First, oxygen may be dissolved in the fluid used to fill the sprinkler pipes, such as fresh water. Second, any trapped air in the pipes will contain oxygen. Each time the sprinkling system is drained and refilled, the likelihood that oxygen corrosion will arise increases because of the introduction of a fresh supply of air into the piping network.
One technique for reducing the likelihood and/or amount of internal corrosion present in the piping system is to vent the piping network when the sprinkling system is filled or refilled. Venting the system may be performed manually or automatically with an air vent valve connected to the piping network. Such valves close after the air has been removed from the system to prevent the reintroduction of air into the piping system and to prevent any considerable amount of fluid in the pipes from being discharged through the air vent valve.
Existing valves for the removal of air from liquid-containing piping networks generally are formed from a plurality of individual components that are subsequently assembled together. These components may include float type vents. This often has the effect of increasing the size and cost of production of the valve. Accordingly, there exists a need to develop a compact, low-cost air release assembly for a wet pipe network that helps minimize and/or eliminate air present in the piping system.
Another problem that may arise when utilizing air venting components (e.g., piping and/or valves) in the piping system is the accumulation of moisture in the area around the vent. Specifically, air that is vented from a fire suppression sprinkling system often may contain a certain amount of moisture (i.e., the air is relatively moist). This moisture may condense and accumulate in the air venting components and their surroundings, which can promote corrosion in the former, and mold and the like in the latter.
There are known piping systems that utilize redundant air vent valves with a segment (e.g., a loop) of pipe between the redundant air vent valves. In some piping systems, the only indication of excessive moisture occurs when condensed water drips out of the system (e.g., through one of the air vent valves). When the moisture accumulation has reached this level, the air vent valves may be rendered inoperable and may need to be replaced. There are other systems where a pressure gauge is utilized to detect a pressure increase within the segment of pipe to alert an operator of possible moisture accumulation. These piping systems have drawbacks because the number of components and system complexity can increase cost both of the initial installation and maintenance of the piping system. Additionally, the volume of the moisture detection system may be relatively large. This can lead to arrangement and/or maintenance accessibility difficulties.